Daimler Reveals Its New All-Electric Freightliner Models

No matter how you feel about electric semi trucks, you can't deny that they will play a major role in the future of the heavy trucking industry. Recently, Daimler revealed its new electric semi trucks called the Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 at the Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. The eCascadia will be the company's new flagship model and the eM2 will handle smaller loads and duties. Both are one hundred percent electric.

Martin Daum, global head of Daimler's Trucks & Buses division, told Trucks.com that Daimler is committed to building trucks with the latest and greatest technology. "We are the undisputed global leader of the trucking industry and we want to remain in that position with regards to electric trucks," he said to the publication.

The company will build 30 of these new electric semi trucks throughout the rest of this year. Then the company will study their performance, and from there, it will determine what to do next. The plan is to get the Freightliner eCascadia and the eM2 up to full-scale production by 2021.

What Can the Freightliner eCascadia and eM2 Do?

According to Daimler, the eCascadia will produce 730 horsepower, which should be enough for the rigorous demands of the trucking industry. The model's batteries provide 550-kilowatt hours of capacity which translates to 250 miles per charge. The batteries can be recharged to 200-mile capacity in just 90 minutes. The truck weighs 80,000 lbs. Daimler sees the initial versions of the eCascadia being a regional hauler and not a long-haul vehicle. For that kind of work, it will still use its diesel-engine trucks.

The eM2 will have 480 horsepower and a smaller battery capacity of 325-kilowatt hours. That makes the model good for around 230 miles. The truck can be recharged to 184 miles in a quick 60 minutes. The truck weighs 26,000 lbs. The eM2 will likely be used for local distribution and delivery service.

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